Bostage-masking machine



f kM. MCGUWAN.- PQSTXGEMARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.1?, |921. y Y

` Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

"'mmunimu y? v mfrm,l

E: MpMcGowAN. POSTAGE MARKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17,1921

Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

l 5 SHEETS-SHEET-4.

E. M. MCGO'WAN.,

PlosTAGE MARKING MAcH|NE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17,*1921.

1,389,062.v PatentedAug. so, 1921. 5 SHEETS-SHEET s.

Il lE-- New STA-isis PATE@ EDWAnD M. McGowan, or Totana-omo. L'

v Y msnen-MARKING MACHINE.

,I 1 f Specication of Letters latent.,v

Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

.application med January 17,1921. serial No. 437,689.

To' aZZwwm it may concern: ,9

vide a machine for marking a predeterf mined totaled amount of postage on ma1l ,for which the machine is set` 'from time to time.

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. -IMC- .GowAN, a citizen of the United States,- and a resident of Toledo, inthe-county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have made an Invention Appertaining'to Postage-Marking Machnes;'a=nd I do hereby declare the follow'- ing to be a full, clea-r, andexact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use 'the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe charactersv of" reference marked thereon, which forms a part of this speciication.

My invention has for itsobject-to' pro- The vinventionliasfor its object to provide in such amachinev a means whereby access tothe setting means may be prevented except by thosey authorized to set the machine forfthe-predetermined amount of postage to 'be marked by the machine. The invention .also pr'ov'f'ides certain indicating means that the use of thefzmachne.

havefntility vinisetting the machine `and in `Theinvention also has for' its object to Y rovide a's'imple and eiiicient construction that may 'beconveniently handled and ma` nipulated for the marking of the'mail 'and Q for setting the machine to limit the operations of the machine to the marking of a g predetermined amount of postage.

tures of diierent forms. i practical application of the invent1on I have The invention may -be contained in st ruc- To illustrate a selected one .ofthe structures containlng the invention and shall describe it hereinafter. .The structure selected is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 ofthe drawings' illustrates a side View of the machine, the cover having been removed, Fig. 2 illustrates an end view of the machine, the 'case containing the machine beingA shown in section. Fig. 3 is atop view of the machine, the case containing the machine also being vshown 1nA section. Flg'.

4 is a diagrammatic view to show the 1nterrelation of parts of the machine. Fig. 5 illustrates a Swiss gear used in operating parts of themachine. Fig. 6` illustrates a part' of an automatic release mechanism used in the machine. Fig. 7 illustrates'the actuating lever of the machine.V Fig.- 8 illustrates the stamping barl and the marking stamp. Fig. 9 illustrates a shifting actuating gear. Fig. 10 illustrates one of a number .of ringsthat coact with the: actu-'- ating gear shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 illustrates one of a number ofratc'hets ,used in the machine.

In Figs. 1,-2 and 3,11 is a case having-a `base 2 for inclosing the postage marking maehine.- It is provided with a' cover 3 that may be locked by a suitable lock 4 toprevent alteration in the adjustment of the machineafter it has been set for a predetermined amount of postage that the machine is to mark until the machine has been reset as by the postal oieials having authority tov set machines ofthe character v shown in the drawings.. The machine is supported on the base by meansof a standard 5 which is provided with suitable bearings for the' moving parts ofthe mechanism. Arodl 6 A plate 9 issecured tofthe bracket' 7 and also to a ring 10 which isr secured-to `the end of the 'rod by'means of a screw 114. The rod we'A issupported in a bracket 7 and anarm 8. A

6 may be secured in the arm 8 as well as by the plate 9 to prevent rotation of the rod. The plate 9 is provided with openings .12..

Below the plate 9 and the.op. .n1ngs,.12l are tively, in the manner shown in Fig. 1,1, and

are arranged concentrically on the rod. 6

and are supported 'in the bracket 7. The disks are connected to the sleeves' by means of the spring pressed pinsor dogs 19.- Theother ends of the sleeves yare connected to.

the disks 20, 2l and 22 4whereby rotationV of the disks13i 14vand 15 will cause also rotation of the disks unless the disks 20, 21 and -22 are held,fin which case the pins 19 will slip over the sleeves when the disks 13, 14 and lare rotated in-one direction, but will turn the disks 20, `21` and 22 if rotated.` 4The disks 20, 21 and 22 are'provided with lugs' v 23 that protrude rom thel disks.` The lugs fvvilly take positions according t the numbers that appear through the openings 12 inthe plate 9. -A gear wheel 24 is located on one or the otherof the disks 20, 21'and 22. Itis provvvided with an opening that@ the shape of the disks and the lugs 23- the wheel 24 is turned so that the A 26 which has the same'shape as the lugs 23 further on the disks has reached a point so as to cause the two tol register, the wheel'24 will slip over the disk and onto the next disk, orward movementl being held by the lugao'f the succeedin disk until the. wheel 24 has rotated su. ciently to .cause registration between the lug 23 of that disk with the opening 26, tha-thas the same shape as the lug, whereupon the wheel 24 may be slipped onto the next disk in the same man.-v

ner. The wheel 24 may thus, under certain conditions, be slippedV over the disks 20, 21 and 22.- Its sliding movements over the disks 20, 21 and'22 are thus controlledby the relative positions of the lugs of the disks and the opening formed in the wheel 24.

The wheel 24 may be provided with a gnarled ridge 27 for purposes of adjustrelative to other parts of the mechanism.

The wheel 24 is slid over the'v lugs ,by means of the arm 28 which is slidably sup-l ported on the shaft 29. It is operated by .the compression spring 30 which on the rod 31 and betweenthe bracket 32 and the arm 28.. The spring 30 is socketed in the bracket 32 and is located between the bottom of the socket and the arm 28. The spring operates to push the arm 28 along the shaft 29 and to pull the rod 31 through the arm 32 of the bracketl 7. The arm 28 is provided with rollers 33 that are pressed against the surface of the gear wheelV 24- the operation when the gear 4wheel 24 reaches a. certainpoint in its rotation on` one 4of the disks 20,

of the spring30 so that .21 or 22 it will push the gear wheel 24 onto the next disk or ontothe dummy disk 34 which is provided with a flange 35 which will limit the forward movement of the gear wheel 24, and also'the forward movement of the arm 28. If desired, the spring 30 may be held compressed by the snap 36 which is pivoted on the bracket 32.

The gear wheel 24 meshes with one or the" other of the gear wheels 38, 39 or 40, whil the gear wheel 24 is riding on one of the disks 20, 21 and 22. secured toa rod 41 while. the gear wheels 39 and 40 are connected to the concentric sleeves 42 and 43 respectively which are located on the rod 41. The rod 41 and the sleeves 42 and 43 are supported in the arm 8 of the .connected to the ment or. manipulation of the gear wheel 24 is located.

land 102.

The gear wheel 38 is Ithe arm 57 ofthe standard 5. Gear wheels 44, 45 and 46am. connected -to the rod 41.

and the 'sleeves 42 and 43 respectively whereby rotation of any one or more of the gear wheels 44, 45 and 46' will cause'the same rotation in the -'gear wheels'38, 39 and4og Pinwheels .47 and 48 of4 a Swiss gear are connected tothe gear wheels 45 and 46 and the coact'ing mutilatedgear wheels 49A and on the shaft 29. A gear wheel 52 is ratcheted "to the shaft-29 by means of the disk 82, which isnkeyed to y the shaft by the key 53, and the"spring pressed pin-.54. The 'spring pressed pin 54 operates as a dog which isl engaged bythe disk 82 when-the disk 82 The disk 54, however, and the ratchet formed movements of-the shaft 29.'

v 50 ofthe Swiss gear are pivotall'ysupported The gear wheel 52-meshes with the gear wheel 46, and causes rotation yof the pin wheel 48 which operates upon the mutilated Swiss gear .wheel 49 to cause step by ste rotation of the wheel 49 on the shaft 29.

gear wheel 55 is connected to the Wheel 49 and meshes with the gear wheel 45.which is pin wheel'v47.v -The pin wheel 47 operates uponl .the

the gear wheel 50.

gear wheel 56 is connected to the Swiss gear wheel 50 and extend from the standard 5.

The shaft 29 is adjustably connected at one end vto the sector 58 'by means .of the screw 59, and a lever 60 is supported on` the shaft 59 tocause rotative movementsof the shaft 29 under certain conditions. Aspring operates to lift the lever 60. The lever 60 isl .preferably formed in two parts 101 Part 101 is located within. the case and part 102 extends through a slot to apoint on the outside of the case, and so. as

` to v'beoperated bythe finger of the operator.

The part 102,1nay be easily separated from the` part llvsince one end of the part 102 telescopes into the free endl of the part 101,` andthe parts are yieldingly held in' this relation by means of the spring 103 which presses against the upperjedge of the part 102. The'spring 100 isolocated between lthe lever '60 and -the bracket 104 which is securedto the side wall of the case.

105 is also securedto the side wall case to limit the upward movement of the lever 60 caused by 'the'. operation of the spring 100. The lever 60 is connected to the shaft so as to rotate the shaft by means o the sector 61 which is slip-keyed tothe shaf` by the key 90 except when the gear Wheel 24 rides upon the dummy 34. The sector 61:

p Swiss gear wheel 50 to cause step by step movements in A stop Y of the -64 will be released-from the lever k60.

. gagement maybe established |by shifting the gear wheel 24 so that it' will' ride upon one of.

25 thedis'ks 20, 21-and 22. Thisoccurs when,v

52. The ,rotation of the wheel 46 is'conthevrod'3l extends. The rod'31 is .provided with a liange orhead 63 which engages the ment between the sector 61 andthe lever 60. This engagement occurs when the arm 28 .sl'ides upon the disk or' dummy ,34, and in 15 the return movement ofthe lever 60. The

sector 61 has a recess 98 into which the head .63 of the pin 31 will enter under the pressure of the spring which holds the sector 61 down while the lever 60 returns by the' 20 pressure of the springlOO. This causes disengagement .of the clutch since the-fin er the-pinv31 is drawn back so as to remove the y v flange 63 -from the Sector 61.

.-"-M0vements of the lever-.60l are communi-J cated tothe sector 58. A'Ihefsector-58 is conanec'ted' toia reciprocating rod 67 v'by means .of

fa .steeljbandjSL `The rod 67 is spring sleeve and 'a shoulder .71 formed on th The wheels 44 to 48v inclusive may `be secured to the disks 106 which are mounted on .the ends of the sleeves 42 and 43 and the rod 41. Rings 85 may be ratcheted to the disks 106, and numbers maybe placed on the rings 85. The rotations of the wheels 44 to 46 inclusive by the operations of the shaft 29 willk thus be indicated by the location of the numbers relative to any fixed point that maybe selected.

In the operation of the device the lever -actuates the shaft 29 which-operates the sector 58 that movesthe stamp 74 toward the base and marks the mail. Each time the shaft 29 is movedthe angular distance permitted by the movement of the Stamp24zfbel tween the sleeve and .the mail on thellase' 2 it rotates the gear wheel 52 a short angular distance. The wheel 52 meshes withftlie wheel-46 and the pin wheel 48, being connected to the wheel 46, the pin' wheel 48 is moved the same angular distance. However, upon the return mo'vementhofthe shaft 29 the disk 82 slides beneaththepin 54 withoutv causing return movement ofthe Wheelv tinued by the movements of the lever 60 until the pin 83 engages the mutilated Swiss ear 49 to move it one step. This motion -1s communicated to the gear wheel 55 which is connected with the gear wheel 49, and also to the gear `wheel 45 which lmeshes with the gear wheel 55., Also this motion is connected to the pin wheel` 47. The step by stepmove- '35 67. The rod67 may rI o'e channeled along fpivotally connected through-.the arm77 to vfi-07'51" 67 to its upperm "t'position in the sleeve ments of thengfear'wheels 45'v and 46 conportion thereof as at 72, androtation of thefltinue until the p inv83 (Fig. 3) of the pin frodrelative to the sleeve-70 maygbefpreventwheel@47-engagesagtooth of thenSwiss gear ed by means ofthe'screwii. I`lief.7s leeve 7 0- 5Opfand Vthis movement is communicated to is supported vby an arm* 8 8extending-fromi thegear wheel 56 'which meshesY with'the l slitfgarfwheeli vThe gea-r whee1-44risecon`A so as to form aslitcollarf- Bdand boltfgnected -to thegshaft 41 and the movenint of or nut 87 may be usedto-clampthe sleeve'ithe gear' wheel 44 is also reproduced in the 70 within the collar `8`6,,..a vrifllthusvadjlistahly'. .ruovement'"of the gear wheel 3 8 which opposition the sleeve yrelatiregtd themhglcrates upon the gearwheel 24.4 Jheigear 45 A stamp 74 is connectedldlhelower; n dpf' wheel 24 is rotated until' its recessed porthe rod67 and astanipingpadW ly `e""".tio1 1 2 6" registersv with the lugg23 vlocated supported on thel lower end 'fof hTElWv/TO f on the disk 2O provided'that thefgear wheel by .means of the 'bracket T65vvli'climay -24 is locatedon the disk 20.-- When the re- 'be clamped tothe 'sleeve 70.2, The pad 7541s cessed portion 26 registers withthe lug 23 f .the disk it is pushed from the disks 2() onto the disk 21, and unless the lug 23 ofthe disk 21 -also registers with the recessed portion 26, the gear wheel 24 will ride on the disk 21 and further movement along the shaft 6 will be prevented. It will now mesh 11,5 the bracket 76, and a spring? 78 Ar'gpeiates"to vyieldingly -pressthe pad 5 against lthe stamp'74 when 1th 'ring 69 has raised the 55 70. A roller 79 may 1besupported at the rear 1.20

of the stamp 74's`o'as to push the pad- 75 to one side when the'stamp 74 is moveddown tol ward thebase 2. One of .thesides of the case 1 is provided with .a slot 80, 'while a -60 .portion of the lower edge of the cover 3 is .raised slightly from the baseV 2'. Mail may be inserted through `the slot thus formed above` thebase and so as to be `pressed 'in position to receive the -marking 'of the 65 stamp 74. v

disk 22. The gear wheel 40 will nowf -operate upon the gear wheel 24 to cai'se'rotation of the gear wheel 24 until its recessed por- 29 from the lever 60.

non 2e registers with the lug es 011th@ disk 22 which will occur upon a suicient'num'ber n of movements of the gear wheel 46 which is driven directlyby the gear wheel 52. When the gear wheel-24 passes the lug 23 of the disk 22 upon the dummy 34, the rod 31 en gages the sector 61 and disconnects' the shaft Further angular movements of the shaft 29 cannot be formed by the lever 60. The stamping machine can no longer be operated to stamp mail until the machine has 'been reset. The machine is reset by bringing the disks13, 14-and 1,5 to the zero line, that is, so'as to cause the zero to appear.in the openings 12 of the plate 9,yvhich places the lugs 23 of the disks 20, 21 and 22 in line, and upon a partial forward rotation of the gear wheel 24 its recessed portion 26 will be brought in line with the lugs of the disks 20, 21 and 22, and then it may be shifted over the disks 20, 21 and 22, while 'at the same time the arm 2 8. may be pushed along the shaft 29 to a position that it may be engaged by the catchl36 and. held in this position untll the gear wheel 24l is brought against the arm 28. `When the gear wheel 24 has beenplaced in position one or more of the disks 13, 14`and 1'5 may be rotated as, for example, if the right to stamp five pieces of mail is purchased from the postal authoritiesthe disk '15 is rotated ,so that the numeral 5 will appear behind the plate 9; if twenty-five stamps, so to speak,v

are purchased, the disk 14 is also rotated so that the numeral 2 appears behindthe plate 9 and the friction between the sleeves 17 and 18 will also rotate the disk 15 the same angular distance; or if'the user purchases the right to use the' machine seven hundred and twenty-live times, the disk 13 is rotated so that the numeral. 7 appearsbehind the plate 9, and the other disks are rotated forward the-.same distance. -This positions the lugs 23 of the disks 20, 21 and 22 in posi-v tions that correspond to, or are indicated by the numerals of the disks 13, 14 and 15 as they" appear behind the plate. Before the shaft 24 can slip by the lug 23 of the disk 20 the'shaft 29 will have to be operated seven i hundred times, and then the shaft 29 will have `,to be operated ytwenty times before the gear wheel 24 will. slip onto the disk 22. The shaft 29 will then have to be operated five -times before the gear wheel 24 will slip ontovthedummy 34and cause the sector 61 to disconnect the lever 60 from the shaft 29.

The mutilated Swiss gear wheel isvprovided with ten teeth, that is, the ten recesses into which the pin 83 `(Fig. 5) enters and produces ten step by step movements.A The' relation of the size of the gear wheels 52 and the gear wheel 46 is such that the shaft 29 will be operated ten times in order to cause a single complete rotation of the gear wheel 46. When the gear wheel 46 is rotated once Ibe rotated -ten times to form cause the gear wheel 39 The pin ,wheel 47 which receive'sitsmove- 70 ments from the' gear wheel 49 must likewise a complete rotation of the gear wheel 50. The movements of the gear wheel 50 is therefore one hundred times the movement of the gear 7.5

wheel 52, and the-movements of the gear wheel 50 are communicated to thegear wheel 38. The gear vvvhe'el 52, in order to permit the gear wheel'24 to slide from the disk 2O and disconnect with the gear' wheel 38 and 80 connect with the gear wheel 39, must be operated seven hundred times sincethe gear wheel 24 will not slide from the disk.20,until the SwissA gear wheel 50 has moved seven steps, or has been operated 'upon-seven times 85 by the pin wheel 47. .Connection no'w'being established Vbetween the gear ,wheel 24 and the gear wheel`v 39, the gear wheel 52 will have to operate twenty times in. orderto to rotate the gear wheel 24 sufficient to cause it to slip by the e disk 21. The gear wheel 24a will now be moved upon each operation of the shaft 29-4 an angulardistance equal to the distance between two consecutive numbers on the disk r13, and when the shaft 29 has been operated ve times the recess or opening 26 will register with the lug 23 on the disk 22, and the .Y gear wheel 24 will slide upon the dummy'34, whereupon the rod 31 will-disconnect the 100 clutch 61 from the lever 60 and further op# erations of the shaft 29 will be prevented un'- til the mechanism has been reset.

I claim:

1. lIn a postage marking mechanism a plu- 1.65

rality of independent operable stops, a'markl ing mechanism, means operating .according vto the .position of the stops for limiting the operations of the stamping mechanism to al predetermined number. .2. In a postage marking device a marking mechanism, gear wheels connected to the marking mechanism, a setting mechanism having limiting members, a gear wheel acted upon by the first named gearwheels in sucsaid gear wheels.

4. In a postage marking device a marking mechanism, a` plurality of 'gear wheels operated step by step by the marking mechanism to ,f 'roduce revolution in. the gear 130 wheels inthe ratio of consecutive powers- 4in succession with the said'setting mechanism.

5. In a postage marking device a marking mechanism, gear wheels actuated by the marking mechanism in consecutive powers of 10,- a setting mechanism having a plurality of lugs anda gear Wheel` movable relative to the lugs and held in position by the lugs until rotated to predetermined points by the first named gear wheels.

6. n a postage markingdevice a marking `mechanism,`l gear wheels actuated by the marking mechanism in consecutive powers of 10, a setting mechanism Vhaving a plurality of lugs and a gear wheel movable relative to the lugs and held in position by the lugs until rotated to predetermined points by' the first named gear wheels, and means for preventing further operation of the marking device until the'device has been reset.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

K EDWARD M. MGGOWAN. 

